🚀 go-pugleaf

Avoiding NET FRAUD 101

This is a small class for those of you who are just learning about
buying and selling on the USENET system.

The USENET system is very good way to get some very inexpensive
used merchandise.  I am an advocate for reusing consumer goods  as
a way to reduce our impact on the environment.

I have purchased a VCR and sold 2 computers on USENET.  It is a
good way to shop, but you have to be careful.

FOR THE BUYER

Lesson 1: BEWARE

Fraud is easy.  Because often times there is no direct contact
between buyer and seller, one or the other party can create a false
front to work from.  Remember the computer systems which access
USENET can support aliases, paths can be forged, accounts stolen,
and nodes created and destroyed.

Lesson 2: INFORMED

Monitor the USENET for a while before making a purchase.  Find
answers for such questions as:

"What are the going rates for items like the one I am looking for?"

"What kind of information are people volunteering in their
posting?"

"How do these prices compare with local classifies?"

"What kind of problems have people been having with this type of
equipment?" ( You may wish to consult some other news groups. )

Most of this is common sense in selecting the item of purchase.

Lesson 3: OFFER

Make offers on items of interest.  Use your knowledge of what these
items should cost.  Wait for replies.  At this point you may have
to do some haggling to negotiate a price.  Fraud is not only not
delivering a product, it can also be ripping off the uninformed
consumer.

Lesson 4: PURCHASE

Things to do:

1 )  Find out the condition of object.  (Bad sectors on disks,
remotes on home electronics, etc. )

2 )  Insist on knowing the full name, address, and phone number of
the person you are purchasing from.

3 )  Call the person, and speak to them personally.  Ask them
questions.

4 )  If the purchase is expensive (you will have to define this),
you may wish a purchase agreement.  This is a document of agreement
to buy and sell.  Draft a purchase agreement ( see example below
) and E-mail it to the sales person.  Have them revise it and send
it back.  When you have both agreed on the purchase, each person
should print a copy out and sign it.  Place the copies in the mail. 
The seller should not send the package until he/she has received
the sales agreement with your signature.  You should not pay for
the package until you have the copy with their signature. ( This
will add significant time to completing the purchase. )

5 )  Always insist on COD (cash on delivery) shipment.  Many people
will argue about which company provides the best service.  This is
mainly a trade off of time vs price.

6 )  If possible, inspect the package contents before accepting
shipment.

Lesson 5: CHECK

Remember to check it all out when you first get it.  Now is the
time to dispute about quality and functionality.  A seller is more
likely to give you a partial refund now than 2 months down the
road.

Conclusion:

Some people will find these steps too restricting and slow.  Let
them risk it, I will stick with tried and proven methods.

FOR THE SELLER

The same procedure as above can be applied by the seller, but the
seller should also be aware of the following:

1 )  When you post your ad, post in detail. I think this attracts
more buyers, because they know what they are looking at.

2 )  Price yourself in the right range.  Do not post "make offer",
you can be ripped as easily as the buyers.

3 )  If you don't trust checks, you can usually insist on a "cash
only" COD.  But remember that not many people have $1500 laying
around when the UPS person shows up at the door.

SAMPLE SALES AGREEMENT

This is an agreement which was almost completed.  The hard drive
on the Mac crashed just after being returned from a "check up" at
a local computer dealer.  (What kind of "check up" did they do?) 
Well, Rob is working on it.

You will notice that I am taking a risk by only knowing Rob's PO
box.  I really should have asked him about his actual place of
residence.  I know he is a student at University of Maine.  I guess
I am lulled into a sense of security after talking to him on the
phone.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Sales and Purchase agreement.

I, Robert R. Armstrong, P.O. Box 120, Minot, ME 04258, agree to
sell a Apple Macintosh SE computer to David W. Graham, 3902
Longfellow Street, Hyattsville, MD 20781, for the price of $856.00. 
The computer is in working order and contains the following
features:
1)  2.5 Megabytes of Random Access Memory (RAM)
2)  40 Megabyte internal hard disk drive, with no sector errors.
3)  800k Megabyte internal floppy disk drive.
4)  Macintosh System 7 operating system.
5)  Software including: Pagemaker, Word, Works, Illustrator, Mac
3D, Mac Write, Mac Draw, Superpaint, Drawing Table, Hypercard,
Da's, Inits, and Virex.



___________________________________________   _________________
  Signature                        Date


I, David W. Graham, 3902 Longfellow Street, Hyattsville, MD 20781,
agree to buy a Apple Macintosh SE computer from Robert R.
Armstrong, P.O. Box 120, Minot, ME 04258, for the price of $856.00. 
In addition I agree to pay the following charges:
1)  Shipping costs when sent UPS ground.
2)  COD charges


___________________________________________   _________________
  Signature                        Date

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|                                      |                            |
|             /\W_W/\                  | David W. Graham            |
|          __/  0 0  \__               | Code 923.0                 |
|         __<\       />_\              | NASA/GSFC                  |
|        / <\  \___/  />               | Greenbelt, MD 20771        |
|         <     _|_     >              |                            |
|        <     /   \     >             | Voice: (301) 286-3799      |
|       < __          __ >             |                            |
|______<_/  _________/  _>_____________| Internet:                  |
|        UUU         UUU               |    dave@soil.gsfc.nasa.gov |
|                                      |                            |
|  Everyone's entitled to my opinion.  |                            |
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